[kristianc]

Because "money and physical things are conflated in our thinking" is simple enough to sound trite.

[Rury]

It's as if the author doesn't understand why various forms of money came to exist, and why there are disagreements over monetary ideas/matters.

[8note]

it isnt really though

a ton of countries have been selling real stuff for basically nothing to the states to get some dollars back.

i think canada is better off keeping potash and oil and copper and so on than sending it down south, and the chinese are better off using the manufactured goods than selling them for usd

[kristianc]

trading their goods and services for money brought nearly a billion Chinese out of extreme poverty so I'm not sure they'd agree

[jurgenburgen]

They did also exchange that money for machines and technology that made them more productive.

I imagine there are still products they want from the US.